Why Tovino Thomas is perfect for Malayalam’s first superhero film Minnal Murali
Tovino completed nine years in the industry on October 26 and is currently awaiting the release of his biggest film yet
Dec 23, 2021
Tovino Thomas in a still from Minnal Murali
It’s been nine years since Tovino Thomas made his onscreen debut in a barely noticeable role in Prabhuvinte Makal. But since then, the actor’s career has seen a meteoric rise and as it stands, he will be seen as a superhero in Basil Joseph’s upcoming movie Minnal Murali, which is Netflix’s biggest Malayalam release this year.
For Tovino, the road to stardom wasn’t easy. Sure, he did break into the industry at a time when the audience as well as filmmakers were open to new talent and themes, and it did go a long way in him bagging his first few projects – which included Dulquer Salmaan’s ABCD that had him playing a young politician with grey shades and 7th Day that had him as the standout performer among the young crop of supporting actors in the Prithviraj Sukumaran-starrer. This, however, soon followed with a lull – partly because he was beginning to be offered roles that would stereotype him as a brawny hero or sidekick.
A short break in 2014-2015 and only selecting the roles that excited him, meant that he had a slew of projects in hand. But with him yet to establish himself, the actor was yet to command the backing of producers. That’s when Prithviraj, who had noticed the actor’s performance in 7th Day, picked him to play a pivotal part of Perumpparambil Appu in Ennu Ninte Moideen and it was a huge break for the actor’s career as he proved he couldn’t just flex the muscles but can also be a flexible actor.
Ennu Ninte Moideen also landed Tovino his first Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor and anyone present at the function in Hyderabad in 2016 would attest that Tovino is confident about his skills. When Telugu comedian Ali, who mispronounced Tovino’s name and cracked a few jokes about it while presenting the award, the Malayalam actor’s comeback was that “when I win more of these awards, my name will be familiar”. He was back at the venue two years later to accept the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor and has been nominated for at least one Filmfare Award for every year since Ali’s gaffe.
In 2015 and 2016, Tovino didn’t just stick to playing protagonists – he played a villain in Style, a cameo in Jeo Baby’s 2 Penkuttikal, a supporting role in Fahadh Faasil’s underrated Monsoon Mangoes; all of which he had admitted helped keep his roles unpredictable in the minds of the audience. The year 2017, however, gave him the push as a performer – with the actor displaying his comic timing and action in Basil Joseph’s Godha and putting forth a memorable performance as Mathan in Aashiq Abu’s Mayanadhi, which catapulted him to the big league.
Offers too started to pour in from other industries and though Tovino’s first pick from Tamil, Abhiyude Katha Anuvinteyum, misfired, his role as the villain in Maari 2 opposite Dhanush was lauded by audiences from both industries. 2018 was also a year where Tovino won a lot of fans through his deeds off the screen.
During August 15, 2018, as Kerala faced one of its worst floods, the actor had just returned home from a trip. Though his place in Irinjalakuda was largely unaffected, the actor along with his friends decided to get out of the comfort of their houses and help those affected in nearby places. Unaware that the water levels were rising, they, like several other heroes during the time, decided to help people who were stuck in places such as Pothani and Kattoor in his district. His stepping into save lives also encouraged other youngsters to follow suit. The actor and his group’s brave efforts also soon won his praise on social media.
However, it wasn’t all praises that came his way. There was also a campaign that said the actor had done this as part of publicity for his movies; a claim that many including those who had been evacuated during the floods found ridiculous. Tovino, however, didn’t lash out at those spreading the negative campaign and decided to focus on gratitude showered upon him by those who were touched by his heroic efforts.
A look at Tovino’s filmography also proves that it wasn’t smooth sailing for the actor. He had in fact worked most with debutants or relative newcomers throughout his career and apart from movies such as Kamal’s Aami, Aashiq Abu’s Mayanadhi, Madhupal’s Oru Kuprasidha Payyan and Salim Ahamed’s And The Oscar Goes To…, he had teamed up with filmmakers who were united in their vision to make good content and create their space in the industry. Tovino’s work with veteran filmmakers, though limited, also unlocked different sides of the actor that only the experienced could bring out.
His clever turn as a political scion in Lucifer, a macho hero in Kalki, a dour engineer in Guppy and the dignified presence in Uyare prove that the actor has been pushing himself to reveal something new with every film. But Basil’s Minnal Murali, however, was a totally different beast altogether. It can be argued that there’s probably no one better in the industry right now to pull off such a role in terms of physique, comic timing, performance, market value as well as the ability to straddle both rustic and urban characters; but it was still one of the biggest projects in his career and easily the most ambitious.
While Basil had the bases of script and direction covered, it was up to Tovino to leave no stone unturned to ensure that his performance was convincing. He had proved his detractors time and again, but this time he had to go the whole nine yards and then some. The pandemic didn’t help either. The actor, who began his training for the role in late 2019, trained day and night to get in shape for the role – and the lockdown meant he had to stay in shape for the rest of the year till the entire movie was completed. For Tovino, who had modelling and had an interest in body building, it might have come easy but even he would agree it was pure passion and dedication for people entrusting him with the role that kept him going.
This year has already been a golden one for Tovino - who showcased he can play the villain with as much ease as a hero in Kala and proved he can go toe-to-toe with some of the best character actors in the industry through his emotionally-charged performance in Kaanekkaane. If he pulls off the trifecta with the pan-Indian film Minnal Murali, Tovino could indeed have opened new doors not just for himself but also the industry with the superhero movie.
But like most heroes, what truly makes Tovino apt to play the Mollywood’s first superhero is his simple philosophy: “The biggest lesson that I have learnt in my life is that when you slack off, you fall and when you work hard, you will rise higher; we just have to find what we want to achieve and put our mind to it,” he said in an earlier interview. Considering that the actor is on top of his game and has also brought along everyone who has supported him throughout his nine-year-old career, he is a shining example to movie aspirants who don't have any connections to the industry but only swaddle the dream of cinema.
Minnal Murali is scheduled to release on Netflix on December 24 in Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada and English.
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